


Crushed

by waterbird13



Series: Tumblr Fics [80]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Amputation, Gen, Injury, Permanent Injury, angsty, post AOU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2016-08-01
Packaged: 2018-07-28 13:46:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7642933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waterbird13/pseuds/waterbird13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The rocks of Sokovia rain down and Tony doesn't escape with just cuts and bruises.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Crushed

**Author's Note:**

> This is another piece I'm moving from Tumblr.
> 
> Warnings include: Post AoU, Tony's view on things post that film, major injury, which is permanent, amputation, and it's somewhat angsty, but it's not over the top angsty.

Tony tries to tell everyone that at least it’s not his hands, because God, an engineer could never be without his hands. He tries to put on the brave face and say it doesn’t really matter, he can still do exactly what he could before, so fuck off, thank you all very much.

He’s not that fast on his crutches yet, though, so he can never quite escape the pitying looks, and those always set his blood boiling.

Not that he sees a lot of them, because he’s alone now. The team was there, of course, because they’re good people who have morals, when he was in the hospital. Rhodey is really good, as he always is, there when Tony needs him, solid. Cap is too positive, like all he can see is the absence where Tony’s leg used to be below the knee and he’s trying to fill the space with his special brand of optimism.

There is no positivity. In his better moments, Tony can pull some together. He’s not dead. Ultron is. They saved a good chunk of the people of Sokovia. And honestly, the damage could be worse.

But his own suit took him out, metal crushed beneath the rocks and destroying the flesh underneath. It wasn’t like it hadn’t been an active concern of his; he knows full well how the human body responds to force and metal. But it would take exceptional force to crush gold-titanium alloy like a tin can.

Like, say, a city falling from hundreds of feet in the sky, right on top of him while he did his best to prevent its crash to Earth. And then disintegrating into massive rocks, one of them pinning him in that stupid lake, and Tony trying so hard to get free, adrenaline so high, he just compounded the damage in his struggle without even realizing it.

His leg had, he’s been told, pretty much been a lost cause when they arrived at the hospital. But at least he still has a knee. He’s told he’s lucky, there.

Natasha does physical therapy with Tony at five in the morning, doubling up his daily exercises, understanding his determination to get back on his feet. And after a while, Tony’s allowed to leave.

He hasn’t been idle. He’s been overseeing the new Avengers base project digitally, determined they’ll have a home. A home away from him.

Steve thinks it’s because he’s injured, Tony knows, even if Steve doesn’t know how to broach the subject. He thinks Tony’s tapping out because his leg is seven inches shorter.

Tony could fly like this. Given enough time, he’ll revolutionize the prosthetics market. He’s not worried about that.

His place on the team is an entirely different matter. It’s best if he leaves.

He holds to that, too, even when it’s hard. When he wants to cry through his exercises and another market prosthetic isn’t what he wants, when the phantom pain acts up and it genuinely feels like Tony’s muscles and bones are still being torn apart by ruined gold-titanium alloy.

But what he says is true. At least it’s not his hands. So he builds. He builds tech for the Avengers and Stark Industries tech. He builds legs.

Dozens of them, actually. Rejected prototypes litter his workshop to the extent he must look like he has some weird calf and foot fetish. But he refuses to stop until he has the very best.

Rhodey stops by on Saturdays. He’s always good for a dose of normal, for being Rhodey, firm and solid and Tony’s North Star.

“Everyone’s worried, you know,” he says.

Tony looks over. “Yeah?” He asks. He shrugs. “Tell ‘em to fuck off. I’ve got this.”

Rhodey sighs. “Tony….”

Tony pulls out a smile. “Don’t worry, Sugarplum,” he says. “There’s still some life in me yet. Things to do. Worlds to change. Won’t get rid of me that easily.”

“If you’d stop scaring me,” Rhodey mutters, but he gives Tony a one-armed hug regardless, then asks him if he’s ever going to finish his damn prosthetic, making Tony laugh.


End file.
